Colorado Dentist Arrested in Child Sex Sting Operation

Dr. James Jason Atha, a 50-year-old den­tist from Broom­field, Col­orado, was arrest­ed on August 9, 2024, at Palm Beach Inter­na­tion­al Airport. 

Fed­er­al author­i­ties allege that Atha attempt­ed to arrange sex­u­al encoun­ters with a moth­er and her 8‑year-old daughter.

Details of the Sting Operation

The arrest was the result of a months-long under­cov­er oper­a­tion con­duct­ed by the Depart­ment of Home­land Security. 

An agent posed as a sin­gle moth­er in online cha­t­rooms, where Atha alleged­ly expressed inter­est in sex­u­al activ­i­ties involv­ing the fic­ti­tious moth­er and child.

Incriminating Evidence

Accord­ing to the fed­er­al indict­ment, Atha’s mes­sages includ­ed state­ments such as:

• “That’s a beau­ti­ful thing. I would sooo love to be a part of that.”
• “I would love to find moth­er-daugh­ter to play with.”

Pros­e­cu­tors claim that Atha dis­cussed spe­cif­ic sex­u­al acts he wished to per­form on the non-exis­tent child and made trav­el arrange­ments to meet in Florida.

Arrest and Charges

Upon arrival at Palm Beach Inter­na­tion­al Air­port, Atha was appre­hend­ed by fed­er­al agents. He now faces charges of attempt­ed entice­ment of a minor, which could result in a max­i­mum sen­tence of life in prison.

Additional Findings

Dur­ing the inves­ti­ga­tion, agents report­ed­ly uncovered:

• Child pornog­ra­phy on Atha’s phone
• Evi­dence of his involve­ment in mul­ti­ple incest and taboo chat rooms

Professional Consequences

A rep­re­sen­ta­tive from Alpine Den­tal in Boul­der, where Atha was pre­vi­ous­ly employed, con­firmed that he no longer works at the prac­tice. It remains unclear whether he resigned or was terminated.

Legal Proceedings

Atha is sched­uled for a pre-tri­al deten­tion hear­ing in South Flori­da. The case has shocked the local com­mu­ni­ty and raised con­cerns about online preda­tors tar­get­ing minors.

#childprotection #crimeprevention